Providing care and a temporary home goes a long way in setting things right again for a child whose home life is turned upside down. Children and teenagers, whether relatives in your family or close family friends are more likely to successfully adapt to a new home environment when placed with caregivers already in their lives. When a child you know needs you the most, step in and make a world of difference.

What is kinship care?
Kinship caregivers often assume full-time responsibility of caring for a child when they cannot live with their parents. Kinship care can occur in various ways, such as:

• Informal  Care - When a private or informal arrangement is made between a parent and kinship caregiver and there is no open case with a county child welfare agency.
• Formal Care - When a private or formal agreement is made through court involvement, such as a custody order, guardianship, or adoption.
• Kinship Foster Care - When a court grants custody to a county child welfare agency the child is placed with a kinship caregiver.
• Temporary Safety Provider - A voluntary, temporary intervention made between a parent and a county child welfare services agency during the delivery of child protective services. TSPs are used to address immediate safety threats to a child(ren) when a child(ren) is found unsafe in the care of their parents/caretakers during child protective services. TSP's must only be used when less intrusive safety interventions are not sufficient.

Factsheets:

• Kinship Care 101
• Types of Caregivers
• Guardianship Information

NC Specific Resources:

• Care Management for At Risk Children (CMARC) - CMARC is a free program for children to 5 years of age who have special health care needs; experience the Infant Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU); are dealing with adverse childhood events; are referred by the child's doctor and/or health plan. Click here for a brochure in English. Click here for a brochure in Spanish.
• Child Care Provider Search
• Child Care Subsidy - Assistance in childcare for eligible families
• Child Support - Services for parents and/or nonparent caretakers of minor children
• Crisis Services - Resources for individuals experiencing a behavioral health, substance use or developmental disability crisis
• Creating a Family Legal Options for Kinship Caregivers in NC
• Exceptional Children's Advocacy Center (ECAC) - A private, nonprofit parent organization, committed to improving the lives and education of ALL children through a special emphasis on children with disabilities and special healthcare needs.
• Exceptional Children: Resources for Families and Students - A website from the NC Department of Public Instruction
• Family Caregiver Support Program - A program that offers a range of services to support kin such as adult relatives aged 55 and older who are providing care to children under the age of 18. Services include, but are not limited to, assistance in accessing services, support groups, and short-term care.
• Food and Nutrition Services - A program that helps eligible people with limited incomes supplement their budgets so they can purchase food.
• Foster Family Alliance of NC (FFA) - FFA is the NC Kinship, Foster, and Adoptive parent and caregiver association. FFA-NC supports kinship caregivers in a variety of ways such as kin specific support groups, free monthly trainings, free therapy sessions with a licensed counselor, and more.
• Fostering NC Kinship Care - A collection of courses, videos, articles, and other resources of special interest to kinship caregivers
• Independent Living Services (LINKS) - Services for youth and young adults who have experienced foster care to improve outcomes independent living skills.
• Infant-Toddler Program - A program that provides support and services for families and their children, birth to three who have special needs.
• Legal Aid of NC - A statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people.
• Lifespan Respite Program - An application-based program that reimburses eligible family caregivers caring for individuals of any age for up to $750 in respite care services in a calendar year. Applicants must be referred to the program by a local professional agency.
• Low-Income Services - Assistance in accessing health care, childcare, housing, financial and nutrition assistance regardless of your financial status.
• Juvenile Justice Service Directory - Connecting consumers to a wide spectrum of juvenile services across North Carolina.
• Medicaid: How to Apply - NC Medicaid provides health care to eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, seniors and people with disabilities.
• NCCARE360:Get Help - NCCARE360 is a statewide, coordinated care network in North Carolina that connects individuals to local services and resources like housing, transportation, food, etc. You can dial 211 or (888)-892-1162 (available 24 hours a day, seven days a week) for assistance.
• Success Coach Services Program - NCDHHS provides post-permanency support services across all 100 counties that are available to families who have achieved permanency through reunification, guardianship, legal custody or adoption. The Success Coach Services Model aims to empower families by providing tailored support to achieve stability and positive outcomes in their lives. The Success Coach Services Model is a voluntary, in-home support that is offered at no cost
• Social Security - If a child's parent(s) are deceased and were insured through the Social Security system at the time of death, the kin caregiver may be eligible to receive a Social Security payment on the child's behalf.
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) - SSI provides monthly payments to people with disabilities and older adults who have little or no income or resources. Adults and children might be eligible for SSI if they have: little or no income, and little or no resources, and a disability, blindness, or are age 65 or older.
• Unlicensed Kinship Payment Program - A program for kinship caregivers of children in the NC foster care system.
• WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Program - A specialized program for women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing healthy foods, nutrition education, and community referrals.
• Work First Family Assistance - Families in which grandparents and relatives are caring for their relative children and legal guardians can receive services and support that prevent children from unnecessarily entering the foster care system.

National Resources:

• Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network - Kinship/Grandfamily Assistance

1. Kinship/Grandfamilies and the FAFSA: College Financial Aid - A resource to assist kinship families who have children in their care entering their senior year of high school and are interested in applying for college financial aid
2. Finding and Paying for Child Care
3. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for Kinship/Grandfamilies

American Indian and Alaska Native Kinship Resources:

• Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network - Kinship/Grandfamily Assistance

1. Legal Assistance for Native Kinship/Grandfamilies Involved with Child Welfare: How to Find an Attorney and Help Them Help you
2. How Relative Caregivers Can Advocate for Relative Native Children in State Child Welfare Agency Custody

• Raising Relatives - A resource guide for Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian families caring for their kin

More Information:

• Local DSS Directory - Reach out to your local DSS agency to ask if there are any local supports specific to kinship families
• Orientation for N.C. Foster Parents
• Private Agency Directory

For questions, please email KinshipKonnectNC@dhhs.nc.gov.
Please note, the Kinship Konnect NC email is available to share information about resources for kinship caregivers. The Kinship Konnect NC email is not able to respond to case specific questions or concerns about Child Welfare Services within North Carolina. Please visit the Child Welfare Services Constituent Concerns website for assistance in case specific questions or concerns. Thank you.